PROMOTEing Change: How to Build a European Ecosystem in a Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Learning Using Centres of Vocational Excellence

This interactive training session explores how to build a collaborative European ecosystem for upskilling professionals in the correctional sector, with a focus on a multi-disciplinary approach to learning. Participants will delve into the core principles of the PROMOTE project, which aims to foster a learner-centred approach to professional development, emphasising practical skill acquisition over a rigid knowledge-centric approach. The session will showcase how Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) can act as hubs for continuous learning, bringing together diverse professionals – including prison staff, NGO staff, educators, social workers and more – to enhance their competencies in supporting offender reintegration. The criminal correctional environment will be used just as an example, as one of the most extreme and challenging learning environments we have available in Europe. The focus will be on all the transferable experiences that took us from a CoVE to a Blueprint to one of the most effervescent Pact for Skills in Europe, the only representing the sector to date.  

The workshop will explore: 

• The importance of a multi-disciplinary approach in the correctional system. 
• How to implement a learner-centred methodology that focuses on problem-solving and practical skills. 
• The role of CoVEs in providing accessible and relevant training opportunities. 
• The use of digital tools to enhance learning and accessibility. 
• Strategies for recognising prior learning and validating micro-learning experiences. 
• The development of a skills blueprint for the correctional sector. 

Location:

Institution: DSK

Number: 1.56, first floor

• The value of European collaboration in enhancing training and skills development. 
• The sustainability of a learning ecosystem in the correctional sector. 

Participants will engage in a role-play exercise to experience the challenges and opportunities of working in a multidisciplinary team supporting offender reintegration, using the DACUM methodology as a starting point to identify skill sets. This will enable participants to directly understand how the PROMOTE project shifts the focus of skills development away from job titles or institutions, and instead focus on the competences needed by professionals to effectively deliver services to convicted persons. Through this hands-on activity, they will experience the benefits of a collaborative approach to continuous professional development.